Judicial Stalemate: Supreme Court Collegium's Nominees Await Government Nod

The Supreme Court Collegium, led by Justice D Y Chandrachud, reiterated several advocates' names for high court judge appointments, yet government files remain pending. As Justice Chandrachud's tenure ends, Justice Sanjiv Khanna is set to succeed him. Notably, Somasekhar Sundaresan was appointed in 2023, but other nominations await processing.

There has been no progress on the names submitted by the Supreme Court Collegium, headed by Justice D Y Chandrachud, for the appointment of high court judges. Justice Chandrachud is set to retire as Chief Justice on November 10.

In January 2023, the collegium reasserted the candidacies of advocates such as Saurabh Kirpal for the Delhi High Court, R John Satyan for the Madras HC, and both Amitesh Banerjee and Sakya Sen for the Calcutta High Court.

The government is yet to act on these files, causing delays in appointments. While Somasekhar Sundaresan has been elevated to the Bombay High Court, other names are still awaiting approval. Justice Sanjiv Khanna will take over as CJI on November 11.

(With inputs from agencies.)